Fresh details have emerged linking Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma to attempts to influence the appointment of a principal at Homa Bay High School, deepening the controversy surrounding recent leadership changes at the institution.
A letter circulating online, allegedly authored and signed by the legislator, appears to show Mr Kaluma directly lobbying the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to appoint a specific candidate to head the giant national school.
In the letter addressed to TSC Chief Executive Officer Dr Nancy Macharia and dated February 2026, Mr Kaluma claims Homa Bay High School had not been performing at its best in recent years despite recording slight improvement in national examinations.
The MP further argues that after consultations with stakeholders, Mr Lawrence Oyamo had been identified as “the best principal for the school now and into the future.”
He then formally requests the TSC to transfer Mr Oyamo from Ojongo Secondary School to Homa Bay High School.
Leadership changes
The emergence of the letter has intensified claims that the transfer of veteran principal Vincent Mayienga may have been part of a calculated push to create room for a preferred replacement.
Ironically, sources indicate that MKaluma is now unhappy after the Teachers Service Commission reportedly failed to appoint the candidate he allegedly fronted, instead settling on a different principal to take over the school.
The development has triggered sharp reactions among teachers and education stakeholders, many of whom are questioning the growing involvement of politicians in school leadership matters.
Critics argue that the controversy exposes increasing attempts by political leaders to influence appointments in top-performing public schools despite the constitutional independence of the TSC.
Education stakeholders have maintained that recruitment, deployment, transfer, and promotion of principals remain the exclusive mandate of the TSC and should be protected from political pressure.
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The Homa Bay High School saga has now sparked wider debate over the independence of education institutions and the extent to which political interests are shaping leadership decisions in public schools across the country.
By Odoyo Miranda
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